Follow Hershel Friedman’s hiking excursions in all types of weather and terrain in the lower New York / Hudson Highlands area. From short hikes in Harriman State Park to insane scrambles in the Gunks, you can follow it all here.

Started at the lower end of the parking area at Anthony Wayne off the Palisades. Went south
along the ski/biking trail until the intersection of the RD Trail. Took the RD west up the
mountain, and passed along an old Graphite Mine on the way up. Continued up a good scramble
towards the intersection of the SBM Trail. At the intersection is an excellent view of the
Hudson River, Havertstraw, Hi-Tor, and Jackie Jones. It is an incredible view.

Continued along the SBM north to the interestion of the TT Trail, and made a left on this
short stretch to the intersection of the AT. There is another excellent view here facing the
Palisades Pkwy and Anthony Wayne. Took the AT down the mountain until Beechy Bottom Road, went north along Beechy Bottom Road for a little bit, then veered left and bushwacked down the
ravine and across the brook back to the car.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Started at the Parking area off Route 202 in Mahwah. Went along the Schuber Trail next to
Scarlet Oak Pond (where it is also joined with the Silver Trail). The trail was packed with
people - I have never seen so many people hiking before. I guess it was because it was a nice
Sunday with a beautiful blue sky, although it was a brisk autumn day.

I continued along the Schuber Trail, where I passed the old cabin ruins, and veered off to
view the falls. From there continued along the Waterfalls Trail to the Macmillan Reservoir
Dam, which was recently reconstructed. Took some pictures from the dam and continued along the
Silver Trail. Veered off on the Marsh Loop through the edge of the swamp, and then at the
intersection of the Yellow-Silver Trail went east along the edge of Matty Price Hill. There is
a really cool spring just bubbling out of the ground right here on the trail. It is one of the
best springs I have ever seen on a hike. Continued along and then bushwacked down back towards
the Yellow Trail where I took it back to the parking area.

Started at the Sterling Lake Visitor Center, and took the Sterling Lake Trail alongside the southern edge of the lake to the Bare Rock Trail, where I started asceding the mountain. Climbed up to the intersection of the Sterling Ridge Trail, and went south along the Sterling Ridge Trail until the Fire Tower. The Fire Tower was closed for the season - it is only open during the summer, usually only on nice days. There is a ranger station right next to the tower and a ranger oversees the visitors who climb the tower. I did contemplate jumping the fence that blocks the tower steps, as the people in front of me had just done, but I decided against it. Part of the reason was that the weather was cloudy and foggy anyways, so my view would have been limited.

From the Fire Tower, descended along the Fire Tower Trail, which is actually more like a dirt road, to the Fire Tower Connector Trail, which took me back to the south shore of Sterling Lake and the Sterling Lake Trail. Took a turn off the Sterling Lake Trail to the Iron Mine Trail, which walks through all the ancient workings of the massive Sterling Mine. It walks next to the mine pits and dumps, and goes next to the old abandoned mine buildings. It then goes through to the old Sterling Furnace where the Iron Ore was smelted. From here took the road back to the parking lot to return to my car.

This was a really nice and warm day in late fall. All the leaves had already fallen, with justa few remaining colorful trees, and the temperature was in the 60's. Started the hike at the beginning parking lot, and for the most part hiked along the river path the way down and hiked on the upper path on the return route. I was not familar with the trail names and their markings so I can't tell you which trail I hiked at each point - I just followed the closest one to the river there and the upper one the way back.

I took the offshoot to the Hobby Hill Quarry, which is a pegmatite quarry in the cliff of the
gorge. It contains shiny muscovite, crystallized feldspar, and large hunks of quartz including
rose quartz. I thought the trail continues here but it's a dead end, so I had to turn around
to get back to the trail. Continued along to the Resivoir view spur and then headed down to
the Havemeyer falls. Took some pictures by the falls and continued to the foot of the river where it empties into the Mianus Reservoir. Then turned around and went back, this time on the upper trail passing through many stone walls and old farmland.

This was a two-car hike. It was a nice but chilly day in the late fall, and most of the leaves had already fallen. We parked a car by Kakiat County Park off Route 202 near Suffern, and then drove the other car to the Reeves Meadow Parking area off of Seven Lakes Drive near Sloatsburg. We started at the Pine Meadow Trail, and went along the side of the brook to the Stony Brook Trail, and to the Kakiat Trail.

Followed along the Kakiat Trail all the way up to the intersection of the RBH Trail, and then climbed the Raccoon Brook Hill for an excellent view of Pine Meadow Lake and the eastern ridge of the Ramapo Mountains. Continued to the end of the RBH Trail back to the Kakiat Trail, and continued along the Kakiat Trail all the way back to Kakiat Park where we picked up the second car.